A Lesson in Blue
by Louisia
Summary: After Arlong's defeat at Cocoyashi, he finds himself in the clutches of the notorious prison, Impel Down, once again. Security Adviser Rhia, having been personally assigned to keep him in check, finds herself constantly at odds with the fishman. Through hell and fire, prison breaks and murder, can these two set aside their pride?
1. Day One

_**I never ever EVER write stories without doing INCREDIBLY extensive research beforehand. I do it damn near to a fault. But this time around -mind you, I've never written a One Piece fic before- I just wanted to write an Arlong fic so damn bad that I forewent my normal obsessive habits. I know next to nothing about Impel Down, characters like Hannyabal, or how law and order works in the One Piece world. I know enough to write an incredibly audacious piece of work for the sake of my own selfish desires which are... to see Arlong's redeeming qualities.**_

_**So for those who don't mind a bit of inaccuracy on details that don't show up until, like, episodes in the 400s and chapters in the 500s, and for those who enjoy Arlong as much as I do, and for those who don't give a rats ass that one of the main characters is an OC, here ya go.**_

**Day One.**

When the marines took the Arlong Pirates into custody, it only served to concentrate the fishmen's perception of humans as cruel and treacherous vermin. They took their sweet time kicking around the injured, unconscious, and even dead fishmen, likely taking advantage of one of the few chances they'd get to feel power over a _clearly _superior species.

That being said, when they eventually _did_ get around to shackling the prisoners and loading them on board, the apprehension of Arlong himself was no small feat. It took no less than ten men to even lift his body, and they had no metal restraints to match his size. In the end, they had nothing more than his physical state to assure his captivity, which was absolutely no kind of assurance at all. He was bound and gagged on the floor of the cargo hold, with five officers sweating bullets as they watched him down the barrel of their flintlocks. Their only chance was to hope that he remained unconscious until they reached their destination.

Fortunately for them, Straw Hat packed one hell of a punch.

* * *

The downpour assaulting the exterior of the prison would make moving the large fishmen a difficult task, but it couldn't be helped.

At least their arrival at Impel Down was anticipated; there was an entire crew dispatched to help with processing of the prisoners. In addition, Vice Warden Hannyabal had come to oversee the matter; from a distance the man stood out, being easily twice as tall as the average man. When Nezumi approached him, however, he saw he was not alone.

The newly appointed Security Adviser, Rhia J. Videlle, was standing at his side. She donned a combat vest over a black tank-top, with a pair of khaki's tucked into a set of militia-style boots. The was a knife sheathed at her shoulder with the grip pointing down; the handle of her shock prod rose over the opposite shoulder, and the grip of yet another blade poked out above the height of her left boot. And though he couldn't see it, Nezumi knew she had a six-shooter holstered at the small of her back. He doubted she so much as _bathed _without some kind of weapon on her.

She gave a familiar frown at the sight of the Marine Captain, and appeared to mutter something to the Vice Warden just before Nezumi entered earshot.

Trying not to look scandalized, he saluted the two with a toothy grin. "Vice Warden," he announced, his voice suggesting nothing short of the utmost grandeur, "I have apprehended the notorious Arlong Pirates."

"Yes, well done. You may issue your report to your Commander; you and your men are welcome to replenish supplies and rest for as long as you need. That will be all."

"Thank you, sir," the Captain bowed deeply. He seethed a little inside, feeling entitled to a bit more ceremony. He made no mention of it, however, and turned on his heel.

They watched him descend the stairs leading to the docks. "You were right, Rhia. He took credit for the entire thing."

"And so blatantly too. I don't like it."

"Well, what of these... Straw Hats he reported?"

"According to Mikas' report, the locals claim it was them who brought down Arlong and his men. I've already told you what they said of Captain Nezumi."

"Yes, you have."

"Is it grounds for arrest?"

Hannyabal shook his head. "Arresting him now would do little good. I can relay what you've told me to his superiors, and they'll probably begin an investigation. But beyond that, it's out of our hands."

"Even the bribery?"

"We can take it into consideration when distributing the prisoners, but that's a weighty charge. We can't throw around such accusations lightly, and especially not without proof. None of those villagers actually _witnessed _bribery; it's all circumstantial."

The Adviser narrowed her eyes, "I was afraid you'd say that."

"Anything else?"

"Nothing more than rumors following this... Straw Hat coalition. Tell me, who makes themselves an enemy to both pirates and marines?"

"Are these Straw Hats not pirates themselves? It's not unheard of for pirate crews to find themselves at odds with one another."

"On behalf of everyday civilians? I get the feeling that they, or at least this kid calling himself their leader is some kind of bleeding-heart type. He won't get far as a pirate like that."

The Vice Warden stroked his chin. "Hmm. I suppose their motives are something to think on. For now though, let's worry about the matter at hand. I want you to..."

He trailed off, spotting a large cluster of marines struggling to lift a large fishman from below deck. Hannyabal's eyes glinted in recognition.

"Arlong."

Rhia squinted to get a better look. "He looks completely out of it."

The fishman's eyes were rolled back into his head, with crusted blood running down his face and abdomen. His once-nice shirt was stained with dirt and blood, and sported some rather large tears. One of his legs was twisted unpleasantly- swollen and discolored, it was clearly broken. _Someone did a number on him._

"There's no way Nezumi was responsible for that," the Vice Warden assessed with the utmost certainty, and Rhia was inclined to agree. "I want you to personally oversee Arlong's imprisonment, including sentencing and cell placement. See if you can't get him placed in level four."

"His bounty is going to be a problem."

Hannyabal rubbed the back of his neck, thinking. "Recount some of the reports we received from your man Mikas in Cocoyashi. His utter decimation of an entire village, his merciless slaughter of innocent people; argue his misrepresented bounty and really tug at the heartstrings. I want this one buried so deep he can't crawl out."

"Yes, sir." She saluted him, moving to follow his orders.

"And Rhia!" She turned back to face him. "Meet me in my office later. If that Straw Hat is really responsible for the state Arlong is in, then he's someone we need to keep track of."

"Sir," she acquiesced dutifully before turning to intercept their newest prisoner.

* * *

Arlong's eyes cracked open slightly, only vaguely aware of his surroundings. He glimpsed a dark-haired woman barking orders and for a minute, that was all he could focus on. When he felt himself being lifted, an uneasy sense of familiarity came over him and he reached out instinctively to stop what was about to happen. His hand wrapped around the upper arm of the brunette, and at the sound of her gasp he briefly felt salvation.

"_Shit_," her voice came out in frantic acknowledgment. There was a pinch in his wrist and his hand gave out, releasing her.

* * *

Rubbing her arm, Rhia watched as the men dropped him into the water. Out-of-sorts as he was, his grip was going to leave bruises. While she was no slouch in combat, she quickly realized it would take a bit more than just her to keep him under control. She now both understood and dreaded her role as his handler; she was definitely earning her pay for this.

The moment he made contact with the water, he instantaneously awoke from his daze. An agonized roar erupted from his throat as he thrashed and struggled to escape.

"Not many have that much vigor going in," one of her men observed hesitantly. All backed away from the vat when boiling water sloshed over the sides. Rhia donned an unpleasant expression.

"All right, let's get down there. Be ready when they open the hatch; if he's still struggling then bring him down with the prods. Let's not have this become an incident, gentlemen."

"Yes, ma'am!"

She and her men descended from the first catwalk to the second, stopping by the hatch doors.

"Stand ready, men," she barked, pulling out her shock prod. He was still raving like a lunatic; this was about to get ugly.

"Opening hatch doors, boiler nine," an attendant bellowed from somewhere above them. There was a hiss and an eruption of steam as the water-tight seal was disengaged. Hot water spilled out from the opening, and everyone seemed to tense.

Steam billowed up from below as the water hit the drain-pan, and suddenly no one could see. To make matters worse, the ungodly screech of metal twisting met their ears.

"Filthy _humans_!"

Arlong bolted from the boiler and straight ahead, reaching blindly for anyone. His hand found Rhia's throat and he lifted her into the air, only to swing her around and shove her into the outer wall of another boiler.

The scalding metal made contact with the bare skin on her arm and she screamed, kicking at the fishman desperately. Arlong was holding her at arms length, however, and she couldn't manage a clean hit. It wasn't until one of her men drew his attention that he released her, but she had to catch herself on the railing of the catwalk to avoid falling into the drain-pan.

Someone came and hoisted her over; the steam was slowly dissipating, and she could vaguely make out the image of Arlong grappling with several of the guards. She looked him over for the best approach, and – remembering his wounded leg – ran at him with as much momentum as she could gather. Just as she got close, she ducked down low to fit between his legs and brought her shock prod up behind her, landing a firm hit behind the knee.

He bellowed loudly, staggering back. Someone got a little too close and went flying over the railing and into the drain-pan with a loud _splosh!_ As Rhia collapsed backwards, the others closed in with their own prods and successfully brought the fishman down.

It was then that another guard rushed in, carrying a small case. He stopped to salute Rhia, who at the sight of him used the railing to pull herself up.

"Ma'am! Tranquilizer," he informed her rather efficiently, holding out the case.

She seized it like a lifeline, pulling out the needle and running toward the mob of thrashing bodies. Darting between her own men, she took a leap of faith and landed somewhere on the creature's massive chest. Gripping his hair to keep from being thrown back, she brought the needle down hard onto the nearest bit of exposed blue skin she could manage.

Arlong, who'd begun to convulse either from the pain or the excessive shocks - or both - let out a weary gasp when she pushed down on the plunger. His eyes widened and a white foam pooled around his teeth and escaped over the side of his mouth. Rhia couldn't bring herself to remove the needle just yet.

The steam had completely cleared now, and everyone watched as Arlong tensed, gave one final convulsion, and collapsed, unconscious again.

* * *

"Not even ten damn minutes and already trouble... damn steam didn't help matters..." Rhia was grumbling to herself, heading toward the Vice Warden's office. The men she passed in the halls stopped to salute her respectfully, but she paid them no mind.

"Steam... _steam! _Of all the..." She reached Hannyabal's door and waltzed in without thinking about it. "_Why_ was there steam?!"

Hannyabal was leaning back in his chair, reading a report of some kind.

"It's quite common for the boiler room to have steam, Adviser." He remarked absentmindedly.

"Not when water empties into the drain-pan! We keep the damn thing heated so that _doesn't _happen!"

"Shouldn't you be complaining about this to maintenance?"

Rhia fell back on the small couch in the corner. "Trust me, they heard about it. All I got were a bunch of apologies. 'We'll check on it, ma'am.' 'Please be patient, ma'am.' You know how many people could have _died_ because of this?"

"Calm down. Is this about Arlong?"

She blew a puff of air out in frustration. "Indirectly. Things would have gone a lot smoother if we could have _seen _shit."

"Did he give you much trouble?"

She nodded. "Plenty, and _then_ some. It started with him trying to drag me into the boiler with him. He's the reason my arm looks purple. And he's the reason my _other_ arm is missing a nice chunk of skin," she informed him, voice dripping with venom. She leaned up to let him get a glimpse of her burn, which was bleeding in places like patchwork. "The second he went into the boiler he went berserk. We were all on our guard. Like I said, if it weren't for the damned _drain-pan_-"

"You haven't gone to the infirmary?"

"No, not yet. He's in there, though. The injuries he sustained before he got here as well as the trauma he suffered in the boiler room put him in quite a state. They think he might not wake up. Damn it all..." she hissed, inspecting her wound.

"Who's in there with him?"

"Domino. She owed me a favor. I needed to cool off."

"Hmm. Well, since you're here I may as well tell you." Hannyabal straightened himself out in his chair.

"Tell me what?"

"I went to Magellan with your suspicions about Nezumi. I thought perhaps he could be of some insight. He told me that this is not the first time Captain Nezumi has been suspected of accepting bribes, neglecting his duties, and in some cases even selling secrets. However, every time someone voices a complaint, it gets mysteriously wiped from the record."

"How?"

"The Warden seemed unsure about that. It seems to be coming from higher up the food chain."

"Ugh; that's ridiculous. Who would be pulling for a guy like him?"

"You got me."

Rhia had to think about that. Did Nezumi have any relatives high up in the government? That was the only conceivable thing she could picture, and it would certainly explain that aura of entitlement that seemed to smother her whenever he passed by.

"Let's nail him to the damn wall this time, huh?"

"Don't get so confident. We don't have any proof to speak of."

Rhia furrowed her brow, gazing up to the ceiling. If Arlong was the one paying out bribes, then he'd be proof, of sorts. Maybe she could get him to help her take Nezumi out; after all, he paid all those bribes for protection from the law that he obviously didn't get.

Hannyabal watched her think.

"You're trying to work Arlong into this, aren't you?"

"I could see him being persuaded to pitch in, yes."

Her boss' expression hardened. "Forget it. He's not going to work with humans."

"Well, he'd be working with humans to take revenge on the man who landed him here. I'm not ready to count it out just yet."

"You've never said two words to the guy. You have my leave to try, but only if you quote verbatim of your first conversation. I want to hear how it goes."

"Deal." She chewed her lip, slightly inspired now. "And the Straw Hats?"

"Ah, yes. Them." He reached into a drawer and brought out a notepad. "I did some calling around. Apparently he's been all over the East Blue, stirring up trouble everywhere he goes. He's been seeking out potential crew-mates- I think he has a total of four, not including himself, now."

"_Four_? That's... dismal!" Rhia got tired of trying to keep her burn from touching the fabric of the couch and simply sat upright.

"From what I can tell, he's just starting out. I got some clues on who his men are if you'd like to read them."

She outstretched her bruised arm and he tossed her his notes. Looking them over, she instantly closed in on one significant detail.

"Roronoa Zoro? Isn't he supposed to be a bounty hunter? He's in this kid's crew?"

"Along with a chef from the Baratie, and a former member of Arlong's own gang."

"And the fourth?"

"I don't know, I couldn't make out the name. Slop-something. Some kid I've never heard of."

"And what about their leader?"

The Vice Warden looked down to the floor. "Nothing at all."

"I see." She gave her signature frown.

"You don't like this."

"To be fair, I don't like much of anything."

Hannyabal stood and walked to the door, "Very true. Well, you're welcome to stay, but I'm off for dinner."

Rhia sighed reluctantly, getting to her feet. "No, I'll go. Domino's been working the long shift today, she probably hasn't eaten."

"I could bring up something, if you like."

She gave him a weak smile. "It's fine. If that damn fish is still under sedation, then my job should be easy tonight."

* * *

"...appreciate you... me out like this..."

"...what I'm... for."

Arlong struggled to hang on to awareness. Bits and pieces of reality had been trickling in here and there, but this fragment of a conversation was the most lucid thing he'd been able to understand since that fight he'd started.

He could still feel the shock pulsing over his skin, even though it had been hours ago. The thought made him dizzy and he suppressed it.

"Is it just me or does the boss-man have it out for this guy?"

A man's voice questioned from his left. With each passing moment things were growing more clear.

"Hannyabal? I wouldn't say he's fond of him, but I can't see him doing anything unprofessional."

"I know _that_. I'm not talking about his conduct; everything he's done pertaining to this has been perfectly legal- just what if he's being fueled by something other than justice?"

"To be a public servant with intentions other than justice _is_ unprofessional, legal or not. He takes his job very seriously."

"If you say so."

"I say so."

Arlong became aware of his legs dragging along concrete, and small hands holding his arms in place. He was partially hoisted onto the shoulders of two people.

"After that mess in the boiler room, we shouldn't be placing him any old holding cell. He should be down on one of the levels."

"He hasn't been sentenced. And he won't be until he wakes up and understands his situation. He's not an official prisoner yet. This is the one, here."

He felt one half of him dip as one of his captors reached for a set of keys and unlock the door to an empty cell.

"He proved himself a serious threat, today."

"Doesn't everyone we bring in?" The brunette woman countered, dragging Arlong inside. "It's the nature of the job. And the minute you start to think in terms of individual prisoners, it's over; you've gone paranoid. That mess in the boiler room was more an issue of our blunder than of his calculation. He's no better or worse than anyone else locked up here, just because circumstance played out different this one time."

"You have an answer for everything, don't you?" the other guard huffed.

"You're just looking for someone to hate and play the bad guy. Well, you've got a whole prison full of bad guys, so take your pick. But don't recount your logic to me- if it's flawed I'll say so."

"Fine. Whatever," the man muttered as she shut the cell door. They walked away in silence, and when they were gone Arlong propped himself up, shakily.

His head was spinning and his stomach was turned in knots. His vision blurred in and out of focus, and he thought he was going to collapse again. Reaching out to the bars of the cell door weakly, he tried to prop himself up, with little luck. He looked around the cell. There was a toilet, and a cot much too small for him. He reached out and tugged the blanket off, hoping to insulate himself from the cement floor. The comfort it provided was minimal, and he shivered.

He tried to roll over. It hurt too much and he gave up. The blanket didn't even wrap around his shoulders entirely, and the little comfort he did take from it only made the rest of his body ache for warmth. Feeling sickness overtake him, he gave a few empty retches before shutting his eyes.

It was hours before he really fell asleep.

_**Wow that was long-winded. I can't promise every chapter is going to be that big but I sure as hell hope they will be. Lemme know what you think.**_

_**-Louisia**_


	2. Bloody Handshake

_**Lots of official business going on this chapter. I took a bunch of legal-sounding words and just sort of ran with it. Well, more like sprinted off down the road in a fit of maniacal laughter. Hey, if you tilt your head to the side and relax your eyes, the fifth scene might look kind of like a porno. But as with all things, you have to **_**believe****_ it's there. Happy reading! ;)_**

**Bloody Handshake**

Rhia stretched out tiredly. She hadn't got enough sleep, but duty called. Sitting up, she inspected her wound dressings. Reed had bullied her into visiting the infirmary after they'd taken Arlong to his cell, and so she'd finally gone. The bandages were coming loose after a fitful night's sleep, and she heaved an irritated sigh realizing she'd have to get it re-wrapped before she could start her day.

She was just leaving her room when Reed brushed past her, "Hey you. You know I think there's something wrong with your fish guy."

"Why do you say that?" She frowned, checking the knob to make sure her door was locked. It twisted freely.

"I dunno, I walked by and he's still... well... hey what are you doing?"

She was tugging on the handle, trying to jostle it into working order. She then re-opened her door, checked to be sure she'd locked it, and slammed it shut again forcefully, thinking perhaps it simply hadn't caught. The force from her efforts caused the door to swing open violently.

"Stupid... it's broken," she grumbled, annoyed.

"Call maintenance."

"Like I'd do that after yesterday? No, I'll take care of it when I get back. In the meantime..." she grabbed a glass of water off her bedside table and placed it just inside the door. "That will have to do."

"Why's it such a big deal if someone goes into your room?"

"I just have a problem with it, is that so hard to understand?"

"Whatever. Hey, seriously though. Go check on your fish guy. He looks dead."

* * *

Rhia grimaced when she saw Arlong's figure still on the ground. He hadn't moved much since she left him the night before.

Opening the cell, she removed her shock prod and cautiously circled around to glimpse his face. His eyes were closed, but he was clearly unwell. Frowning, Rhia sheathed her prod and knelt down, checking his vitals. His breath was ragged and shallow, and he was feverish; if she had to guess she'd figure it was some kind of infection. Well, she'd better get to work.

She grabbed the pillow from the cot and used it to elevate his head. His leg had been set and bandaged at the infirmary, but the prison didn't give much concern to prisoner's recovery. This was where people came to die; no one ever left.

_'Except this man,'_ Rhia thought inwardly. Arlong was the only prisoner she knew of to be released from custody in all of Impel Down's history. Maybe Reed had a point; maybe Hannyabal _was_ being a little vindictive toward the fishman.

Pulling the blanket out from beneath him, she wrinkled her nose. It was wet and smelled foul; his body odor had the scent of rotten fish. She tossed the blanket outside the cell and got up to go to the sink. He was a fish, right? Water made sense to her.

Filling the small plastic rinse-cup to the brim, she checked the clarity of the water before crouching beside Arlong and emptying the contents into his mouth.

"Gla- ack!" He sputtered, jerking abruptly awake.

_'Oops...'_ was the most comprehensive thing to occur to Rhia as she backed away, placing one hand defensively on the handle of her prod.

"What the _hell_!?" Arlong growled, sitting up and wiping his face with one of his hands. His eye darted to the woman standing defensively with her back to the sink. It was the short-haired brunette he'd seen before. "Who are you supposed to be?"

She didn't want to antagonize him further, so she pulled her hand away from her weapon. "My name is Rhia. It's my job to... _tend_ to you, while you're in our care."

"And who's care is _that_?"

"That of the World Government, and its affiliates."

"I'm in prison, then?"

"Yes."

"Hm." That meant the others were arrested too. His next course of action was obvious; free his men, get back on the sea, and pick up where he left off. He turned his full attention directly on the woman, "What exactly is _your_ role here?"

"I don't see how that's any of your concern," she frowned.

"I need to know," Arlong began, getting to his feet, "in order to determine your value as a hostage."

Her eyes widened. She probably should have figured he'd try something like this, but given his condition he shouldn't have even been sitting up. Now she was pinned in and would have to fight her way out. He was still wounded, but if a fever wasn't keeping him down she wasn't going to count on injury.

Taking a shot when she saw it, she darted to his left toward the door. His hand swept out to catch her and she ducked, rolling outside of the cage. She reached out to close it quickly, but he caught the door before it latched and slid it open again.

She rolled onto her feet and pulled out her shock prod, standing defensively in wait of the fishman's next move. She was at a huge disadvantage; the holding cells were a remote area inside the prison, and she hadn't had the presence of mind to ask someone to join her. If there was going to be a fight, she needed to make it a quick one.

He lunged, making an obvious frontal motion which she skirted. He caught himself by planting his hands on the floor and used them to shift his body to face the woman, who was turning back to round on him. The close-quarters were making his combat style a bit more complicated, and he was feeling somewhat faint from the combination of a headache, a lack of food and blood loss, but there was no way he was going to lose to any human.

He caught her arm before she brought her prod down, and squeezed until she gasped and dropped her weapon. He then used his other hand to grab her by the midsection and sent her flying into the bars of an empty cell.

Her back and head slammed hard into the metal bars and she cried out, falling on all fours. She felt the warm sensation of fluid running down the back of her head breaking off into small trails down her neck and shoulders. She looked up and saw a blurred vision of Arlong walking toward her, much like a predator. Giving up any hope for ending the fight with both of them alive, she unholstered her six-shot and took aim.

Her arms quivered. It was no use. She couldn't see. If the world would just stop _spinning_ for _one_ second...

He yanked the gun from her hands and lifted her by the neck. She wrapped both hands around his wrist, trying to find the trick spot she'd used yesterday, but his muscles were tense and she couldn't get a feel for it. She kicked out, but his reach extended beyond the length of her legs and she only managed to strike at air. The ringing in her ears phased in and out like some kind of siren. Her vision had degraded into little more than amorphous swirls of color suggesting vague images.

A gasp for breath. Her sight was dimming. Her own heartbeat thudded in her ears. She was blacking out.

There was a shout and a roar of pain that sounded miles away. She felt herself collapse to the floor, but if it hurt she didn't notice. She'd been released, she vaguely understood as she descended into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Here she is; it's a good look for her, don't you think?"

The words lulled her out of sleep. Her eyes blinked open.

"If she _does_ wake up, tell her- oh, never mind." It was Reed. He smiled at her, "You're a real idiot, you know?"

"Gee, thanks." She was still a bit dazed.

Hannyabal came into view. "I take from the state you're in, your first conversation didn't go quite so well."

"You could say that," Rhia admitted, looking around. She was in the infirmary, which was more or less deserted. "How long have I been under?"

Reed pulled up a chair to sit at her side. "About an hour. You're lucky I found you, you know. The fishman would have killed you."

"Now you understand why I want him in level four," Hannyabal said, frowning.

"I still think he can be of use. I want another go."

"Absolutely not. It was a mistake making him solely your responsibility; I'm having an emergency conference to discuss alternative imprisonment until his sentencing."

Rhia scooted back to get a better vantage of the two men; her boss was sitting on a loveseat he'd pulled away from the wall, giving her his time-worn scowl that he whipped out whenever he thought she was being reckless. Her brother sat quietly, picking at his fingernails, obviously trying to keep out of their argument.

"I think Nezumi is a bigger problem than Arlong."

Both men gave her disbelieving looks.

"Are you stupid?" Reed exclaimed. "You are! You're stupid!"

Hannyabal crossed his arms, "I have a hard time believing that, Adviser."

Rhia sighed in frustration. How many times would she have to explain this? "Look, we all knew from the get-go that Arlong was going to be a handful. That's why you assigned me to watch him, right? He couldn't be left to simple guards. This whole situation was my fault. I treated him the same as I would have any other prisoner, when I should have been more cautious."

"Got that right," Reed interjected. Rhia ignored him.

"But if I get him backed into a corner, put him in a position where his only choices are to listen to my offer or sit and _rot_-"

"Hold it," Hannyabal stopped her. "Your phrasing suggests that you plan to make a deal with him. That's not what we agreed on. If he chooses to act on revenge, then fine, but we're not bartering with criminals."

"_Nezumi_ is a criminal! He represents everything that's wrong with our system! He is a detriment to the ideal of justice, and I'm not going to just sit around listening to horror stories about the atrocities he lets happen! Arlong's brutality is reason to bring Nezumi to justice, not to look the other way!"

The Vice Warden quieted, considering her words, and she took that as a sign to go on. "How many more monsters like Arlong is Nezumi going to let operate? How many people are going to die so he can make his spending money? In a way, he's worse than any pirate or brute, because his actions reflect on all of us. If word gets around that the marines are taking bribes and no one's looking out for the people, they're not going to trust authorities like us. When a person sees a marine, they should feel _safe_, not violated."

"All right; yes, I see your point. But how would you _ever_ get that pirate to cooperate?"

Rhia pursed her lips in thought. "Well, I could always just ask him what he wants."

* * *

The nausea was too much. Pushing himself up from the mat, Arlong only barely made it to the waste-bucket in time.

Since the last... _incident_, he'd been moved to a concrete box with an iron door. He'd been given a floor pad to sleep on, had one bucket filled with water, and another bucket for... well, everything else. There were pros and cons about his new room; he could actually sleep on the bed, but there was no plumbing. Overall, it was a wash.

He wiped his chin and sighed, exhausted. He'd acted impulsively without thought to the consequences. Not only that, he'd lost his temper. What good would the woman have been to him dead? He needed to bide his time, wait until he was in better health and -hopefully- better circumstances. His men were counting on him; he wouldn't screw this up anymore than he already had.

* * *

Hannyabal ventured into the assembly room somewhat uneasily. He trusted Rhia, believed she wouldn't steer him wrong, but he felt a bit out of place. Magellan hadn't outright forbid him from what he was about to do, but he had made it clear that he thought it was suicide of the career and wouldn't have his name tied to it in any way. This wasn't his jurisdiction, and his fellow board members weren't about to put themselves on the line simply because Rhia had suspicions. In fact, thinking about it that way made him wonder why in the world _he _was about to do this.

Oh, yes. Because she'd _asked_ him to.

But he knew she was right. In the interests of justice, it was his responsibility to report wrongdoings wherever they may happen, whomever may commit them. To pursue, without discrimination, any and all perpetrators in violation of the people's welfare and follow through as an extension of their wrath was, is, and would always be the code he lived by. It was with that thought in mind, after all members of the board had assembled, taken their seats and quieted, that he claimed the floor.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Division of Public Security and Preservation; thank you for your attendance. I've called you here on no small whim; in light of recent information uncovered by people under my direct command, I've come to the conclusion that all of you must be made aware of the situation.

"Marine Captain 00733, Nezumi, surname undocumented, Marine Branch 16, is currently under suspicion of misconduct in violation of code eleven of the Virtue of Authority Act. He is suspected of neglecting his own responsibilities, as well as accepting bribes and in some cases, causing outright harm to innocent civilians. In addition, though the reports are currently unsubstantiated, he has been accused of the mishandling or outright trading of government secrets."

The room erupted in a whirl of hushed voices and shifting seats. One man, the Vice Minister of Judicial Conduct, stood to address the Vice Warden.

"Have you any evidence to support your claims?"

"Some. Currently we are only in the beginning stages of gathering evidence. As of yet, no charges have been laid against the named, and none will be until we have absolute certainty of guilt. The purpose of this meeting was nothing more than to inform you of the grave possibility of a leak in our system, and to warn you of what information you relay, and how, and to whom. I also sought to make you aware of the presence of an internal investigation, so in the event that I or my people need to ask any of the esteemed members of the board any questions, it will come as no surprise."

"And on who's authority," the Vice Minister continued, "are you carrying out this investigation?"

"On my own."

"You did not seek approval from your superiors before proceeding? You're aware that your department is concerned with nothing more than confinement, and any necessary investigation should be made by the marines themselves?"

"In special situations, Vice Minister, individuals in other departments may step in when necessary. I felt there was a conflict of interest in allowing the marines to conduct this investigation. And given the compromised integrity of the marines, there are some sources who will _only _correspond with me or my men. I'm sorry if this undermines your authority, but I had little choice but to carry on as I did."

"And you didn't think to _warn_ me beforehand of your... _actions_ pertaining to this? This is my department."

"This _is_ my warning, sir. As of yet, there is no official investigation. However, in the interests of justice I trust that all of you will be perfectly willing to cooperate should I or any of my men require your assistance. Are there any questions?"

The Vice Minister chewed his lip in thought, clearly frustrated, but took his seat. A woman sitting in the back of the room spoke up.

"Which of us may expect to be questioned? And when?"

Hannyabal shook his head. "I apologize, but I have no way of knowing. Such things will be determined in the course of the investigation. And while justice is our first and foremost priority, we will do our best to inconvenience you as little as possible. Is there anything else?"

No one else said a word, and Hannyabal relaxed somewhat. This went a lot smoother than he'd envisioned. "Then on that note, ladies and gentlemen of the board, I move for adjournment."

He raised his hand in support of his motion, and 'aye' echoed throughout the room. With no objections, everyone gathered their things and stood to depart.

* * *

There was a knock at his door and Arlong raised a brow. Who could that be? And why would they bother to knock?

"This is Security Adviser Rhia. I've come to discuss a few things with you."

Arlong snorted, half in amusement, half in disgust. What could _she _possibly have to talk about?

"Arlong of the East Blue, can you respond?"

The fishman rolled his eyes, "_Yes_."

"Please state your current location."

"In _bed_."

"We're preparing to enter your cell. Please be aware that any aggressive behavior on your part will result in immediate and _painful _consequences."

"Hmph. Whatever."

"I need your acknowledgment of the situation, prisoner."

He had to take a deep breath at the word prisoner; she was really on a power trip. "I understand, _ma'am_," he snapped sarcastically. If she had a problem with his attitude, she didn't mention it.

The heavy door came open and the familiar brunette entered, flanked by two guards armed with shock prods. They both looked tense and jumpy, and Arlong had to really suppress the urge to jump up and shout boo_! _at them. He'd probably be the only one to find it funny, and he's was kind of sick of being electrocuted.

"How are you feeling?" The woman asked, crossing her arms and looking him over.

"Never better," he answered defiantly.

"Really..." she looked around the dimly-lit room, until her eyes settled on his waste-bucket. Her nose wrinkled in disgust. "Take that outside," she ordered. The guard to her left covered his nose and mouth with one hand and lifted the bucket with the other.

"You have quite an opportunity for someone in your position, you know," she began, leaning against the wall.

"Is that so?"

"First, though, let me ask you a question. What is your opinion of Marine Captain Nezumi?"

Arlong frowned. Now what did _he _have to do with anything? "I've never heard of him."

"Oh, no? That's rather generous of you to say, considering."

"Considering what?"

"You're aware he claims to have single-handedly incapacitated you and your men, apprehended you, and brought you here?"

He did, did he? "If that's what he says, how can I argue with a man of the law?"

Rhia inspected his face; he was clearly enjoying messing with her. He wasn't taking the situation as seriously as she'd like- not that she really expected him to play ball in the first place, but still. He had an inherent mistrust of humans, so approaching him with an obvious hidden agenda was only going to get her snarky comments and a self-satisfied smirk. All right then. She'd lay all her cards on the table and see where it got her.

"I'm going to say this very plainly," she left the wall to approach him, crouching just a couple feet from where he sat. She had to look up to see his face while she balanced on the balls of her feet like this, but she wanted to make him feel like they were on somewhat even ground. "I don't like Captain Nezumi. I don't much care for you either, but that's not the point. He's guilty of accepting bribery from you, and I want him held accountable. Unfortunately, I don't have anything qualifying as 'proof'."

Arlong raised a brow. This conversation was getting more and more interesting.

"_You _are the proof I need. I need you to testify about any and all dealings you had with Mr. Nezumi."

The fishman, who'd managed to keep relatively silent for most of her speech, threw his head back and laughed derisively, causing Rhia to scowl.

"You actually think _I'd_ work with _you_ to... to..._ shahahahahaha_!"

He carried on like that for some time, and the Security Adviser let out an exasperated huff of air waiting for him to finish.

When he was finally done, she started up again.

"Assuming you're quite _finished_..." Arlong had a hand covering his mouth, nothing but the utmost mirth reflected in his eyes, as he signaled for her to continue. "I don't expect you to do this for nothing, however. I'm willing to deal."

Arlong managed to stifle his amusement enough to ask, "What do I get?"

"Whatever you want, within reason. So long as I think it's worth the trouble. Keep in mind that your testimony is only worth so much."

Arlong thought on it. "And if I asked to see someone?"

"It would depend on who the person was, and the nature of the visit. You would only get five minutes."

"Fifteen."

Rhia wasn't sure how to respond to his audacity. "The offer is on the table. Take it or leave it."

"What difference does ten minutes make?"

"You tell me."

It was Arlong's turn to scowl. "Fine. I want to see my sister."

Rhia was surprised. She wasn't aware he had a sister, and she hadn't pegged him for a family man either way.

"Give me her name and location. I'll run it by my boss for approval first, and if there's no problems then we'll contact her."

"Just so we're clear," Arlong stated in a not-so-fast kind of way, "You don't get what you want until I know for a _fact _that I'm going to talk to her. I want to see her face before I say anything. Deal?"

Perhaps out of habit, or simply because he thought it would bind her more firmly to her word, he held out his hand. And though she wanted to point out that if – for whatever reason – they couldn't get in touch with her, he would have every right to choose an alternative form of recompense, she couldn't bring herself to say it aloud. Something about his look told her that he would accept nothing less than the prescribed terms, and that if she was serious about her offer she would find a way to make it happen.

And so, she took his hand.

_**BOOM! Longer than the first! Only by a small margin, but sometimes it's the little victories that make it worthwhile.**_

_**See you next chapter.**_

_**-Louisia**_


	3. Killer

_**Story time! Lot of close calls in this one.**_

**Killer**

"Tell me again why _I'm_ going?"

"Because Mikas is still in Cocoyashi and between the two of us your job is less important."

"I resent that."

"Resent it all you want, as long as you keep packing; they're waiting on _you_."

Rhia was doing most of the work, rummaging through his drawers and closet, selecting the garments he'd be most inclined to wear at Coral Hill. Her brother sat on his bed, eyes glazed over as if he were preparing to go back to sleep.

"Why does it have to be so early?" he groaned rhetorically, falling back onto his sheets. When it looked like he was about to shut his eyes, Rhia tossed his boots at him.

"Unless your plan is to go in your underwear, you might want to get dressed."

He grunted in reply, sitting back up slowly.

"So why all the special treatment?"

"What do you mean? Am I being too nice to you?"

"To the fishman."

Rhia paused, a wad of socks in one hand. She turned to frown at Reed, "He's not getting special treatment."

"I''m going all the way to the friggin' East Blue, _for him_. He hasn't even been placed in a level yet."

"He hasn't been _sentenced_, yet."

"So when is that gonna happen?"

She shrugged, moving the bag from his floor to the bed and cramming the socks inside. "Hannyabal said he wanted me to get him in level four. To do that, I have to give the sentencing committee good reason. After all, his bounty is only twenty-million."

"You're gonna make a case against him, even though he's helping you with that rat-bastard Nezumi?"

"I thought you didn't like him; why do you sound so offended?"

"It's not about _him_, it's about _you_. It just sounds kind of... two-faced."

"The man tried to kill me. I'm not very concerned about being two-faced," Rhia said with some degree of finality, entering the bathroom to take inventory of his hygienics. Reed fell into silence, but the air was not cleared.

When she re-entered to pack his toothbrush and razor, he wore a look of uneasiness.

"What _is_ it, Reed? You never think this much."

It took him a while to answer. "Do you ever stop to wonder that maybe, even after all you've done and how _right_ you thought you were, maybe you're wrong? Really, _really_ wrong?"

"I don't get your meaning."

"Well, like..." he sighed, searching for words, "Like when you're at a restaurant, maybe. And you're in one of those moods where you know you're hungry, you just don't know for what? And so, you just order what you usually get 'cuz you think it's good enough. Only, you start to notice things about it this time. Like it took forever to get to your table, and it looks overdone, and you think the waiter mighta buried a pebble in it so you'd chip your tooth-"

"Why would a waiter want to chip your tooth?"

"_I _don't know. Maybe he's a dick waiter- it's not the point. It's just, you _thought_ it was what you wanted, but when you finally get it you realize... it's just not good enough anymore."

Rhia took a seat next to him, looking at her lap. "You're not happy?"

"I _used_ to be. I don't know what it is. I guess... I'm just feeling kind of down lately. Who knows, maybe this trip to a remote island with lots of beautiful women is exactly what I need to get back on my feet," he ventured, patting his sister on the shoulder. "You done?" he asked, gesturing to the bag. She nodded and he zipped it closed.

* * *

Hannyabal stood by Rhia's side, waving farewell to Reed as he shrunk into the distance on the stern of a marine vessel, bound for Fishman Island. "I hope he's careful. A lot of fishmen are resentful of humans, and he tends to be a bit... well, stupid, when it comes to tact."

"If they circle around to Coral Hill, they shouldn't have any trouble. We just have to hope he doesn't cut through the island." She was leaning against the rail, looking somewhat forlorn. He wondered briefly if he should say something when she interrupted his thoughts, "Hey, I never asked you; how'd your meeting go?"

"Better than expected. But I _expected_ to be packing up my office right about now, so take it for what it is."

"So pessimistic," she half-smiled, looking out at the water. The marine ship had disappeared over the horizon already. They were silent for a few moments, until she spoke again.

"Do you ever wonder about this world?"

Hannyabal was taken slightly aback at the sudden question. "Constantly."

"What about your actions? Or the actions of the people you work for?"

"What are you getting at?"

Rhia frowned into the distance. "I'm not sure... I just got to thinking. Our whole system... it's a like a shell, isn't it? It wouldn't be here without us. We take our jobs so _seriously_, as if we answer to some higher power. But our system is given power by _people_. So then... why do I have this feeling like we're doing something horribly wrong?"

The Vice Warden watched her as she spoke, concern written all over his expression. "Where is this coming from? Did something happen?"

Rhia sighed and turned her back on the sea. "No, nothing happened. Well, nothing noteworthy. I guess I'm just thinking too much; don't worry about it," she shrugged it off, pushing herself away from the railing and heading for the stairs.

Hannyabal watched her go, worried.

* * *

Arlong had proven to be somewhat tolerable in recent days. He agreed to stop trying to kill people in exchange for medical treatment – at Rhia's insistence – and only after she pointed out that if he died he'd never see his sister.

His dislike for humans was still very much a factor, however. He would only accept food and medicine administered by Rhia, and would only be examined by a doctor if Rhia was in the room. It was his insurance policy; firstly because he was paranoid someone would try to assassinate him and the brunette appeared to have every reason to keep him alive. And secondly, he was bargaining from a position of weakness, so he had to be sure nothing happened to make her think he wasn't worth the effort.

Not that it didn't make him sick, having to answer to a human like that.

Rhia gave a quick knock to warn him she was entering, and when she came through the door the fishman looked at her expectantly. She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms.

"I just sent one of my guys to find her. It'll take him about a week to reach Coral Hill. Depending on how difficult tracking her will be and how cooperative she's feeling, she should be here in a couple of weeks."

The thickness of the air made her curious and in spite of herself she sniffed it; it took all of her self-restraint to keep from openly gagging. She blinked the water from her eyes and snuck a glance at his waste-bucket, which was about half-full.

"Then in a couple of weeks, you'll have your proof." The way he said it irked her, like he'd assumed she'd already forgotten the deal. She _didn't _need to be reminded. "Is that it?" he asked, somewhat impatiently.

"What's the hurry? Late for something?"

"Not at all. I just like to limit my contact with humans; I'd hate to start _reeking_ like you."

She wanted to point out the bucket filled with pungent waste sitting near the foot of his mat, but thought better of it. However rude he might be, she wasn't one to kick a man when he was down. It was tempting, though.

"Fair enough," she disengaged, leaving. Arlong watched her go, mostly for the sake of occupying himself. It got really boring at times, sitting around with nothing to do. He honestly wouldn't have minded her company for a while longer, but he'd tear the sun-brand off of his chest before he'd admit that out loud. In truth it was the lack of living contact, the isolation of this place, that was killing him inside.

As soon as the door slammed shut behind her, Rhia stood for a moment with a frown on her face. The guard posted outside looked at her.

"Something the matter, ma'am?"

"He needs a toilet," she observed dryly before walking away.

* * *

Something made him shoot up. He didn't know what it was. The door hadn't opened. No, there was something else... a hissing noise he'd never heard before.

He thought he could smell something... a slight burning sensation in his nostrils. But no, that couldn't be. He was just paranoid. He tried to lay himself down and back to sleep, but couldn't bring himself to close his eyes. Something just felt _wrong._

He inhaled through his nose again, just to check. This time the burning was more noticeable and he sat up again, touching the side of his hand to his nostrils. Blood.

It was an alarming find that brought him to his feet and stumbling to the door, beating it with his fists. When had he started feeling lightheaded?

"H-hey... Hey! _Hey_! Open up! There's a gas leak!"

No answer. There was always someone outside his door, and they always at least peeked in on him when he raised a fuss.

He backed up and rammed his shoulder into the door. It jolted, but didn't give. He rammed it again. And again. The sound echoed around the holding block, with no one nearby to hear.

* * *

It was early morning, that much she knew. She'd gone to bed much like she normally did, with designs on lucid dreaming and a glass of water at her bedside. Nothing appeared amiss then.

But she was awake, and that itself was strange.

She wasn't sure how long she laid there, listening. Maybe a minute. Maybe five. It was when she finally opened her eyes that she discovered the source of her misgivings in the form of the barrel of a flintlock.

The shot was fired, but she'd rolled off the bed and at the attacker's feet. Feathers rained down; the attacker swore and began to reload.

'_A gun in close combat?'_ She kicked his knee with all her force and he jerked back, dropping the rounds in his hands. She got up and decked him from the right. He was forced backwards and his head slammed hard against the threshold of her doorway.

He slid to the ground, unresponsive. Upon closer inspection, she saw he was average height, with a shaved head and marine uniform. Rhia kicked the gun away from his hands and checked his pulse. At least he was alive.

"What kind of assassin uses a _rifle _at close range...?" she said to herself, frowning. More importantly, why was he trying to kill her? Where had he come from? And _how_ did he get in her room?

Oh. Right. She hadn't gotten around to fixing her doorknob yet. Well, still- who the hell was he?

She searched his pockets and inside his jacket, pulling out a folded-up piece of paper. Opening it, she saw it was handwritten in elegant script.

_Room 113. Door will be open. Woman, roughly five-and-a-half feet tall, black hair, slender. Handle however you like, but she will be aggressive. Get her at the same time as the others._

Others. Others to be _killed_?

She had to get to Hannyabal- he'd know what to do. But what about her would-be killer? She stared at him for a long moment, and had an idea.

* * *

He'd been up most of the night, reading. It wasn't typical for him to be up this late, but he just couldn't sleep. Normally he'd try to remedy it with warm milk or tea, but tonight he was just too on-edge.

The things Rhia had said. About choices and actions. They struck something in him; a sense of doubt and worry he'd encountered long ago, but never resolved. Her words sounded _exactly _like the things he used to wonder as a young man. Questioning the foundation of society, and the intentions of respectable men, second-guessing who the _real_ criminals were. It was the idealistic ponderings of rebellious youth, except that expressions of such views usually arose out of indignation and passion- an image of what the world ought to be and utter confidence that one was correct. Rhia had spoken just the opposite; a quiet, uncertain, tentative realization that only worried her. She _wanted_ to believe in the system she was a part of; so much so that blinded herself to its flaws. But she'd come to face something that made her confront the complete devastation of what she'd believed all her life.

And if it was enough to pull her away from her image of justice, then it was enough for him to be worried about.

A door slammed somewhere in the hall, pulling him from his thoughts. No one should have been coming or going; this was a sealed floor at this hour. He got to his feet and left the office to investigate, stopping just outside the door when he heard voices.

"...should be _asleep_, damnit."

"Should we go back?"

"We have orders; we'll just wait."

"We can't wait here forever; the others are doing their jobs now, as soon as the bodies are discovered-"

"The bodies shouldn't be discovered until morning, at _least_."

"And the Vice Warden _should _be asleep by now, but _his light is still on_."

He couldn't see them, but he could tell where they were. His office window looked straight down the hall they were in, with his door just off to the side and out of sight. They couldn't see him standing there and he took the opportunity to circle around. When he came up behind them, he saw that there were three, dressed in dark clothes and crouched around the corner in a huddle.

"Should we try to take him on?" one of them whispered. Unsheathing his baton, Hannyabal grinned, quite amused.

"Honestly, I wouldn't advise it," he offered. The three instantly whirled around to face his large, round belly before he brought his weapon down swiftly upon them.

He retrieved a stretch of rope from his office and came back to tie them up. As he was doing so, Rhia burst through the metal hatch, panting. She stopped upon seeing her boss, already awake and... tying people up... and it only took a second for her to recognize the situation.

"They came after you too, huh?"

"They aren't very competent. How many came for you?"

"Just one, but he damn near did the job. I might need to replace my mattress..."

"Where is he now?"

Rhia smirked, "I strung him up by his ankles. He's dangling over the rail in the foyer."

"You've got quite a sense of humor about it, considering he tried to kill you."

"I'm told I'm too forgiving when it comes to attempts on my life. Anyway, it's good to see you're okay."

He shrugged. "I found them bickering," he explained, and she snorted.

"I don't know whether to be thankful or offended; whoever sent them must not think much of us."

"Do you think they're after anyone else?" he asked, tightening the rope around one's wrist.

"I hope not, but I found a note that makes me think they were planning multiple attacks simultaneously."

"I got that impression too. Raise the alarm and get everyone on the alert; we have a breach in security and there's a high chance others may be in danger."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

The fishman took in a raspy breath. He was lying on the ground, mouth pressed up against the little space under the door. It hadn't taken him long to discover that the gas was entering through his vent, and that the air in the hall was probably clean. He didn't know where his guard had gone, but if he could hold out until breakfast, Rhia would discover him. That was what he was counting on.

He'd long ago lost the energy to stand. He'd dunked his blanket in his water-bucket and used it to cover his head from the air in his room. It was more or less working, but the air coming from under the door was limited and not enough to completely fill his lungs. He was already lethargic, and the short oxygen supply was making him sleepy.

But he couldn't close his eyes. If he slept, he'd die.

He coughed and drops of blood flew out. He was worried; he'd had many close calls in his day, but this was the closest. It was an enemy he couldn't fight; whoever was doing this was clever.

* * *

It had been about an hour; Rhia had scrambled the guards and got everyone up. No one had reported any attempts on their lives, and apart from the usual disappearances in level five and some deaths on the lower levels that raised no suspicion, almost everyone in the prison had been accounted for. There were a few guards who had disappeared, though Rhia figured they'd just gotten mixed up in the confusion. Nevertheless, it would probably be wise to track them down. After all, the breach occurred _somehow._

She stopped into the shift office for the names of those who didn't report in; there were about sixteen on the list. Nine were found dead; all prisoners residing in the levels. The other seven were still missing; three prisoners, four guards. When she looked for the ID numbers, one was unlisted and she could have smacked herself for not thinking of it sooner. Only one prisoner was unlisted that she knew of.

* * *

Footsteps. Quick ones. Someone was coming.

He raised an arm and banged frantically on the door. The footsteps stopped and he heard the scraping of metal; a key in the lock. He was saved.

The door was yanked open and Rhia stood, out-of-breath, but she was _there_. She grabbed one of Arlong's arms and dragged him out into the hall, where he rolled onto his back and gulped down air. "Are you alright?"

"Do I _look_ alright?" he snapped between breaths. She sighed, relieved. She shut the door to the cell and sat, wondering what this meant.

"Where the _hell_ was my guard?" Arlong growled, like it was her fault.

"He's listed as missing. He never checked in."

"That _happens_? I almost died!"

"That's probably _why_ it happened," she said, agitated. He wasn't letting her think.

Okay; so as far as she knew, someone tried to kill her, Hannyabal, and Arlong. What did all three of them have in common? Nezumi was the only thing that came to mind, but that didn't make sense. Nezumi didn't know he was being investigated. Unless the guilty party was the same person who'd been clearing up his messes all these years... in which case, they had access to information only privileged officials were granted. So either someone at Hannyabal's meeting was guilty, or they blabbed to someone else.

But why resort to _murder_ for a small-time crook like Nezumi? Maybe he wasn't as small-time as she thought. And how did they know about Arlong? Or herself, for that matter? Was someone watching them? Her heart skipped a beat when she realized Reed could be in danger as well. As soon as she took care of Arlong, she'd have to find a way to reach him.

"Can you walk?" she asked, using the wall to stand.

"Of _course _I can walk," he shot back, sitting up. He tried to get to his feet, but he seemed to get dizzy. Rhia approached him with a hand extended, but it only served to make him grumpier. He ignored it and rocked back to build up momentum, finally landing on his feet. Just as well; she couldn't lift him anyway.

He swayed and used the walls for support the entire walk to the infirmary; she'd have to sit with him as long as he was there, but she was anxious about Reed. He was capable, but not very smart. If she had to guess, she'd say he was about on-par with the assassins she encountered tonight.

She compromised and called Hannyabal on the ward's dendenmushi; he had one of the portable snails which he carried with him, and when he answered she explained her concern. He agreed and left for his office to make the call on a snail with better range.

When she was done, she went back to Arlong's side. He was still bleeding from the orifices on his face, which was kind of alarming to see, but the nurse assured them that with rest and medicine and clean air, he'd be recovered in a few days.

The nurse left to care for other patients, and Rhia and Arlong sat quietly for a few minutes. He was the one to break the silence.

"It was a damn close one. You _could _have come a little sooner."

"Sorry, I was a little busy with problems of my own."

Arlong looked startled. "They're after you, too?"

"Looks that way."

"_Why_?"

Rhia shrugged. "I have theories, but nothing for certain yet. I hope you know I came running the moment I thought you might be in danger."

Arlong found the confession strange, like she was trying to make him feel better. He still felt like shit, but that she was making the effort at all was surprising to him. Was it true? Had she been worried?

'_About her case against that marine,_' he reminded himself. Still, he felt uncomfortable, letting her words hang in the air like that. He felt something was due, and so with a gruff and unfamiliar sense of honor nagging at him in the back of his mind, he shifted in his seat and offered, "Thanks."

_**This went up a little later than I meant it to; I tried to make it every three days, but the last couple of days have been surprisingly busy, and by the time I had the opportunity to write, I was too tired to think. In the interests of quality, I opted to wait until I could focus.**_

_**I'm a little worried about Arlong's character here. He's so stubborn with his regard for humans, but he made exceptions for his discriminatory tastes for Nami and Nezumi. I'm trying to approach him on the sense for business angle he enjoyed so much in Nezumi, but yanking him out of his comfort zone by making the exchange something other than money. He can't have it ALL his way. At the same time, I'm worried how he was portrayed; I feel necessary to remind that he still has a broken leg, is sick in general from injury, and he's now finding it a challenge to breathe at all. I sound like I'm making excuses for him behaving so weak, but I honestly tried to envision what he'd say or do in the specific situation, considering all the variables he'd have to be aware of.**_

_**Anyway, thanks for reading! Don't forget to drop a line.**_

_**-Louisia**_


	4. Connections

_**Okay, I am sosososososo sorry for how late this chapter was, but my computer had a bit of an episode... word froze, I was five pages and about 2000 words in, and CRASH. Everything. Gone. It took me a while of ranting and raving before I finally sat down and picked up again. I mean, SOOOOO much work... I could have cried. I didn't, but I could have. Have you ever had that happen? It gets so discouraging that rage-quitting is easy to do. I tried to see it as a blessing in disguise though, because I had such mixed feelings about my first attempt at this chapter. It was an opportunity for me to take a fresh approach. (Didn't stop me from almost crushing my computer into oblivion, though.)**_

_**Ugh, but anyway, here's my second attempt. Hope you like! :)**_

**Connections**

He had a new room. Again.

He was satisfied enough with it, he supposed. It wasn't _much_ different from the others, except that it was better in every way. Not only did he have plumbing, but he had something akin to a bathroom. There was no door, but since no one else was here there was no need for one. He had a toilet, a sink, a small cabinet, and a shower. A _shower_. The water was always freezing because it came directly from outside, but he didn't give a damn. The feel of water on his skin was something he'd longed for since the beginning of his captivity and he would do anything he could to keep it.

The mat from his old room had been moved to this one. He had a window, which was perhaps his favorite feature. He could watch the water. It also put him at ease, because he didn't have to worry about things like gas leaks, and truthfully, there was nothing like sea-air to a fishman.

The most important thing, however, was its location. Directly next to that woman.

He'd found it odd that she _chose_ to reside in an abandoned cell block, but if he had to guess, he'd say she wasn't much of a people person. He wasn't going to complain; she proved herself _slightly_ more competent than the average guard.

Currently, he was standing on his hands with his feet against the wall. It was the only way he found push-ups challenging anymore, and he saw no reason to sit around doing nothing now that he could wash away the sweat.

As he began his first set, he wondered about his close-call. The woman claimed to have theories, but she never parted with any. Would she tell him, if he asked? He wasn't sure. Most likely not, even though he felt he had a right to know.

He'd have to find a way to get it out of her; she was too clever to be easily fooled. He'd have to test the waters by bringing up the issue and gauging her reaction.

* * *

Rhia was sitting at a table with Domino, eating her lunch in silence, when an arm draped around her shoulders.

"Oh, Miss _Videlle_, how are you today?" Sadi purred in her usual sultry sing-song. The Adviser merely scowled and continued eating. "And darling Domino...?"

"Good afternoon, Sadi-chan," the other woman offered pleasantly. "I hear you just returned from Lougetown."

"I did. Mmmm, a lovely place for an execution, _truly_." Domino nodded politely. "Oh, before I forget; Miss Videlle-"

"_Adviser_," Rhia cut in. Sadi huffed.

"_Adviser_ Videlle-"

"_Just_ Adviser."

Sadi stared at her a long moment, as if daring Rhia to interrupt her again. "_Adviser_. The Vice Warden asked to see you after your break. Mmm, I like the sound of spring rolls," she meandered off, and Rhia tossed the rest of her salad in the trash bin.

"Oh, Rhia, you haven't finished eating. You shouldn't waste food like that."

"You _know_ she's coming back. I'll starve before suffering that woman any longer than I have to," Rhia announced, getting up from her seat. Chief Guard Sadi was everything she despised in a person; shameless, undisciplined, and unprofessional.

"I don't think she's so bad," Domino observed, watching the scantily-clad woman tease the line cook.

"Well, you can eat with her then. I'm gonna see what Hannyabal wants."

* * *

Rhia flung his door open without so much as a quick tap to warn him. It was something he was long used to, he'd just prefer it if she'd try to catch the door _before _it hit his bookshelf and skewed all his nick-knacks.

"You sent that pink, flamboyant _closet-case _to tell me to come see you?"

"It was convenient, and I thought you might like to know what I was able to get from our assassins."

"Wh- oh. You talked to them?"

"I did; I discovered two things- most importantly, that there is still another perpetrator at large. He is the one responsible for the attack on Arlong."

"And the other?"

Hannyabal smiled reassuringly, "From what I can tell, no one else was a target."

Rhia visibly relaxed. So Reed would be okay. "So what about this... other man? Any idea who he is?"

Her boss frowned. "It's as we feared. He's one of ours."

"So... we have to evaluate _every single guard_?"

"Some we can rule out already, but _yes_, we have our work cut out for us."

"Ugh." She took a seat and let her head fall back against the wall. "If we start asking everyone questions, then he'll catch wind that we're on to him."

"Then ask no questions."

She raised her head slightly to get a look at his expression. "You have a plan?"

Hannyabal nodded, looking slightly pleased with himself. "After learning about his poison gas method, I went down to the ventilator room to have a look for myself. Sure enough, I found this," he used his foot to slide a black, mechanical-looking box from behind his desk.

"Wait... that... I've seen one of those somewhere."

"Do you recall the Technical Ingenuity Conference we attended last year?"

Rhia got to her feet in sudden understanding, "Right! It was on display as a prototype from one of those big manufacturing firms! It houses chemicals that react dangerously with air."

"The firm is Ripro Developers. The device was designed for use by the marines, but they weren't interested because the cost of materials was too great. So Ripro tried to catch the attention of other buyers at the conference; only the prototype didn't hold much appeal because the conference itself was a charity event."

"So our guy somehow got his hands on it?"

"Allow me to paint a picture for you." Hannyabal tossed her a napkin; she recognized his shorthand and gathered that he'd been taking notes in a hurry. "The prototype fails both at private exhibitions and the TIC. When it's discovered there's no money to be made, Ripro scraps the project. A year later, one shows up in our prison. So I contact the company and ask if the project was ever sold, stolen, or distributed. I learn that only three were ever made, and that up until recently they remained in storage. However, just last week a private citizen arrived claiming to be a collector, and asked to purchase one of the boxes. The sale was conducted personally by the firm's chief executive officer."

"So the collector is our culprit?"

"Not so fast. Remember that these men are hired hands. Care to take a guess as to who the CEO of Ripro Developers is?"

Rhia shook her head, "I wouldn't have the slightest clue."

"Morris Rider, Minister of International Affairs."

"You mean he's on the _council_?"

Hannyabal nodded.

"So he's the one who's been covering for Nezumi all these years?"

"It appears that way."

"Alright. So Rider attends your meeting, and learns that you plan on collaring the idiot Marine Captain. So he hires someone to kill the people who know details about the investigation. Did he stage one of the assassins to purchase the box?"

The Vice Warden sighed. "That's what's bothering me. Two pieces aren't fitting; why would he go to such extremes for such a small-time criminal, and _why _would he use a device that so obviously points to _him_?"

"It would make sense if Nezumi provides some kind of service worth killing for. And we could assume we weren't meant to find the device; I mean, they meant to _kill_ us and obviously failed- it's reasonable to think that they made other mistakes."

He tapped his chin. "Perhaps. Take another look into Nezumi's activities and see if you can't find the link between him and Rider. I'll speak to the CEO."

"Right."

* * *

The usual double-tap and she was opening the door with a lunch tray under her arm. She _wasn't _expecting to find Arlong hanging upside-down from the ceiling pipes.

"Er... lunch," she announced, trying not to look alarmed. She set the tray on the floor and turned to go when his voice stopped her.

"Do you know who's trying to kill us?"

She paused, unsure of how to respond, or whether to respond at all. The man who'd tried to kill Arlong was still out there, but should she tell him that?

He didn't miss her hesitation. "If you were planning on telling the truth, it wouldn't take so long for you to answer."

"I'm not obligated to tell you _anything_, so don't act so entitled."

Arlong unhooked his feet from the pipes and dropped to the floor. Rhia turned to watch him with a wary eye. "Listen, _woman_; whatever you're up to, you're getting _me _mixed up in it. So don't _you_ go acting like you've got more to lose than me."

That pissed her off. "What, your _life_? You threw that away when you became a criminal; you landed yourself here and now your answering for it. If you want to bitch about your situation, then go ahead, but you're _not_ going to make _me _feel like the bad guy." She tugged the hatch closed and marched off, too frustrated to notice that the fishman wasn't trying to kill her through the door.

_'Well,'_ he thought to himself, _'that answers that.'_

* * *

The night sky glittered with stars, but there was no moon. Reed lit up a cigarette, sitting near the bow of the ship. Rhia was right; he _had_ been thinking an awful lot lately.

He wasn't happy. It took him a long time to figure that out. He loved working with his sister, and honestly felt more at ease that she wasn't doing such a dangerous job by herself, but he had a harder time than her accepting government-sanctioned justice. He felt like a hypocrite; he wished he could make peace with his past as easily as Rhia, but then again, she wasn't guilty of his crimes.

He'd hoped perhaps that playing a role in justice would atone for his past, and perhaps it did, but he couldn't deny the truth. And the truth was, he was miserable.

Someone took a seat at his table. "A drink?" The stranger offered, but Reed shook his head.

"Thanks, I'll pass," he said, getting up. He didn't feel like having company.

"You only live once, you know," the stranger said. What a strange thing to say, Reed observed, but dismissed it just as quickly.

"Enjoy your night," he offered in reply, retreating to his bunk.

* * *

Someone was humming.

He didn't particularly give a damn, except that it was keeping him up. It was probably that woman; she was the only other person who had any business here at this hour. He was about to yell at her to shut up, but two things stopped him. The first, was that the sound had a metallic twang to it; he deduced that it must be coming through the air vent. Their rooms were connected. Huh.

The second, was that he recognized the tune. It took him a minute to realize what it was, but when he did he was hit with a huge pang of nostalgia.

It was a lullaby he'd whisper to Shyarly on especially dangerous nights in the Fishman District. Some nights she'd be so terrified, it was the only way to get her to sleep. How strange, hearing it here, of all places.

So he couldn't bring himself to silence her now. It just didn't seem right. And in some small way, in some small part of him, he found that it gave him comfort. He didn't notice when he fell asleep.

_**Kay. This is WAAAAAY shorter than what you're used to (By damn near half! Forgive me!), but I just couldn't find anything else to put in. Even the Reed scene was mostly filler, though I felt it did in effect portray his voyage to Fishman Island, which is something I thought should be done at least once before his arrival. I think next chapter we'll leap forward a few days – now that the bulk of the investigation following the murders has been completed – so he'll arrive at Coral Hill and we'll get to see Shyarly.**_

_**Also, I just thought Arlong was a good note to end this on.**_

_**I liked the idea of their rooms being connected by a vent, because I see a good opportunity to work that into the story in the future. As always, give me your two cents; it'll honestly help with the development of the story- it is, after all, being written for you guys. And me, a little bit. But mostly you.**_

_**And of course, thanks for reading!**_

_**-Louisia**_


	5. Progress

_**A day late, but I don't feel too bad cuz this one is extra long. I think it makes up for the last one a little bit.**_

**Progress**

It had been six days since his departure, with no word back. She was seriously beginning to worry.

Hannyabal had reached the ship, and the communications officer had agreed to pass along the message. But if he had done as he claimed, then Reed would know that someone had tried to kill his sister, and would have outright tackled the first dendenmushi he saw.

All subsequent attempts to reach the ship had failed. It wasn't unheard of for vessels on the open water to lose communication, and their own information gathering suggested Reed wasn't a target, but she wasn't an easy woman to appease.

He should nearly be to his destination by now. Hopefully he'd try to reach her then.

Admittedly she'd been caught up in her own troubles lately; Arlong's questions had not subsided, and whenever she failed to supply him with a suitable answer, he'd proceed to antagonize her. Not that the things he said were _wrong_ necessarily, like how she'd never measure up to him in a fair fight, or that she was hiding on the other side of doors and walls because she was frightened- though she'd never admitted it, she knew it was true. He was more powerful than her, and given the opportunity he wouldn't hesitate to crush her. It was simply fact, and it infuriated her.

She took pride in her strength and station, and all the work she put in to getting where she was. It struck her as unfair that someone else could dwarf her own capabilities, and then go off and do horrible things. What was the point in that?

She'd gone to Hannyabal, who's advice had been to simply let it go. She tried. She tried it before he'd suggested it. But _he _didn't have to face that stupid, blue fish on a daily basis. She'd been vulnerable; he could have killed her, and there would have been nothing she could have done to stop him. Every time she saw him, it was a reminder of weakness. Every time she faced him, she felt powerless and small.

She could never let him know it.

* * *

The island was visible in the evening, and it was dark out by the time they docked.

"_She's a short-fin mako shark mermaid, and the proprietor of the Mermaid Cafe. She's also a... fortune... teller... and she's rather large. I don't know if he means she's fat, or tall, or what. Her name is Shyarly, so if all else fails just ask around for her."_

A big, shark/mermaid fortune-teller waitress. That should stand out, right? But the first thing he noticed upon his arrival was that when it came to seafolk, _everyone_ stood out. The second thing he noticed was that most fishmen towered over him, and many were giving him long glances as they passed.

Fortunately, the Mermaid Cafe was a readily visible building the moment he stepped onto the road. It was easy enough to make his way into the building; he tried walking in but a young mermaid stopped him. "I'm sorry, sir, but we're closing."

"I'm here on official business with the World Government; I need to speak to the owner." He puffed out his chest ever-so-slightly, trying to look as impressive as he sounded.

"May I see identification?" she asked sweetly, completely deflating him. They were certainly a cautious bunch. He rummaged through his pockets for his wallet, and pulled out a wrinkled government ID card; his face had a huge line running through it and the young lady had to hold it up alongside his own face in order to see the resemblance. She handed the card back to him and beckoned for him to follow.

"Madam Shyarly...? I've brought the visitor."

The visitor? Oh, right. Fortune teller. That was damned creepy.

"Ah, yes. The man from the government. How may I be of service?"

Madam Shyarly didn't look like the average mermaid; her tail resembled something akin to a whale or... well, a shark. Her short, dark hair reminded him a little of his sister, except that he could easily picture three of Rhia fitting in the space of this woman. Rhia's description hadn't been wrong, but... well, _hell_, he wasn't expecting her to be _that _big.

"Madam," he inclined his head, hoping to appear as respectful as possible. After all, if she wanted to the woman could _eat_ him. "You are the sister of the pirate Arlong, correct?"

Shyarly frowned. She'd seen this man seeking her out, but when she tried to see further there was simply nothing there. That didn't happen unless there was something she wasn't meant to see. The fact that this might involve her brother was... unsettling. "I am."

"Well, ma'am, your brother is currently residing in Impel Down. He's been allowed a visitor, and he's asking for you."

She stiffened. Of all the- he runs off for _twenty years _chasing danger, comes to visit her twice – _twice!_ - in all that time, and now that his derelict past has finally caught up with him, she's just supposed to drop _everything_ and- and- oh, she could just... _murder _something!

Reed took a step back, a little worried. Her face had made a progression of emotions, the primary and most persistent one being the utmost fury. He wasn't sure what he said to set her off, but he was thankful that he was on dry land and could probably outrun her. _Maybe._

Almost more frightening was how quickly she seemed to calm down. She took a breath and then looked to him, "Very well. I will go to see my _brother_."

The way she said that, Reed had the impression that whatever she was mad about was still very much present; he'd felt the wrath of a younger sister himself, but _his _sister wasn't as tall as a house with pointy teeth. If she had been, he'd have died years ago. He honestly didn't envy Arlong.

"Give me the night to make arrangements, and I'll be ready to depart in the morning."

He bent his head again, "Of course."

* * *

"Sorry, I don't know what to tell you."

"_Nothing_?"

"The people here aren't really that eager to talk. I get the feeling that whatever these guys are up to, it's serious."

She'd sent Mikas to the small town of Jarti, a port town on an island not terribly far off from Cocoyashi. A lot people in the area claimed that Nezumi had visited the town about once every three months for the past two years. The selling point for her was when she learned that it was Rider who owned the town's bank. Mikas had been there for a few days already, so she was surprised to hear that he was empty-handed.

"What about the bank's ledger?"

"However they're cleaning their money, they aren't using the bank to do it. There's a _lot _of money flow, but it's all legit."

"When was the last time Nezumi visited Jarti?"

"About a month ago. You want me to hang out here until he comes back?"

Rhia chewed her lip. "I don't want to make you do all that waiting. We need you here, anyway. Come on back and we'll see if we can't work this from a different angle."

"You're the boss."

She sighed and ended the call. It was her day off, but when you lived at work that didn't mean much. Still, she had some down time, and looking around her room she noticed quite a few things that needed doing.

Her doorknob was still broken, and she still had a mattress with a giant gaping hole in one side. She'd flipped it over so it'd still be of use, but now it was starting to sink down so that her pillow didn't elevate her head. She wasn't picky about most things, but her sleeping habits were something akin to bears; they're fine the way they are, so don't fuck with them.

Time to get something done.

* * *

What the _hell_ was she doing? It had been going on repeatedly all day; the same damned muffles and scrapes and bangs and thumps, like she was moving shit around just to piss him off.

The sound was coming primarily through the vent; he hadn't been sure what to think of it at first but now he wished it wasn't there.

His solution was to grab his bedsheet, fold it up, and shove it inside the duct to at least muffle the more obnoxious noises... until he discovered there was something already there.

A book. It was leather-bound, and quite small, and covered in a thick layer of dust. Unable to suppress his curiosity, he pulled it out and flipped it open, taking a seat on his mat.

_August 14th_

_Today, I am the happiest woman alive. I'm so happy, it's prompted me to take up writing; I just feel that I need to write all this down, so at no point in the future will I ever forget this feeling. I just became a mother._

_Gordis is beside himself with joy; he has a son. As soon as he took the baby, he tore off running up and down the streets shouting at anyone who'd listen. He got quite a mix of responses, mostly because people were sleeping at the time. I love him dearly, but even I must admit that at times he's not the brightest of men. I hope to write a little every day, and maybe that way I'll be slightly prepared the next time I have a child. Or I'll have a point of reference from which to give advice._

Boring. He skimmed ahead a few pages.

_I know I haven't written in a while, but motherhood is just so consuming. I don't have enough hours in the day._

Meh. Was there anything good in here? That woman had to have it hidden for a reason.

_Rhia said her first word today! I was so excited I dropped a plate and it shattered. She said "bapi". I don't know what that means but it's probably some other language. She's so smart!_

He snorted. Just a fool human deluding herself into believing her life was worth something. He jumped ahead.

_September 2nd_

_We didn't even have time to pack our things; there was just no opportunity. They were coming so fast some didn't even make it out. We were lucky, I guess. Gordis is looking for his brother, but I have a terrible feeling he won't find him._

_The children are sleeping. I suppose I should be thankful they're too young to understand, but whenever I look at them I can't help but feel pity. They've had so much taken from them in just a few short hours, and they can't even comprehend the seriousness of it all. I don't know if we'll even survive the night- they may come for us yet._

_Why did this happen? Why do they want to kill us?_

_It started late, after we'd gone to bed. The first explosion hit right across the road; it roared and lit up everything and for a moment I thought it might have been lightning, until it happened again. There were people on the streets screaming about a ship, and then suddenly a marine was at our door telling us we had to go._

_Things are less chaotic now. We're hiding in the forest up the mountain. But they know some of us got away; surely they know. I want Gordis to come back. I can't see him anymore. Oh, why? Why? My home, my neighbors, my children- am I to lose everything?_

_September 3rd_

_We had to move again. A boy said he saw one of them coming up the road, and that was enough to send the convoy into full panic. We've settled into a ravine, but I don't like it here. They could easily swoop down on us, and where would we go?_

_The rumors of rescue persist, but they've died down a lot since we first started hiding. The marine base was taken when they came, and we haven't had contact with the outside world since. It seems like now we're just waiting to die._

_September 5th_

_I don't believe it. I simply can't believe..._

_We're going to die. We're all going to die. My children. My husband. There's no hope. There's no reason for this. It's senseless hatred; I'm so sick of just waiting for something to happen, I'm ready to run out screaming. Let them know where I am. Let them kill me. Let the madness end._

_Everyone else is... if any of them survived, they've gone their own way. If Rhia hadn't been fussing, I would have never heard them. I told Gordis, and he... oh, God. We left them to die. We slipped out before they revealed themselves. Gordis said it was for the children. We couldn't have saved the others; this was the best we could do._

_I knew those people. They bought our bread. They served us their mead, waved 'hello' to us in the morning. Now they've been butchered like animals, and we let it happen._

_Please, just let me die. Let me rot for what I've done._

_September 6th_

_It's over. I know that now, and I've made peace with it. But I've come this far, and I won't let my children's lives end here._

_Gordis is gone. They tracked us in the night, and he told me to take the children and go. I ran from his screams... he sounded so terrified. Reed was silent the whole time I was dragging him along... he's been quiet from the start. I wonder if he even knows the danger. _

_Gordis... I miss him so much... I'm so afraid. My only source of peace is that I know I'll join him soon. The only thing I have left to fear is that I might fail to save my kids._

_I spotted a small dock; I believe it once belonged to a fisherman, but I doubt he's still alive. I see his little boat, though. I'll hide the children in a sack, so they'll look like grain. I'll give them the rest of our food. I'll tell Reed to make it last, and to keep Rhia quiet if she starts to cry. Then I'll set them out on open sea, and hope that someone finds them before they starve or capsize. Then I'll sneak into the town, draw their attention, and take as many of the bastards with me._

_I'll take from them what they took from me._

_I'm going to leave this journal with the children. It's the only thing I brought from home, and the only thing I have left to give. My only lament is that I won't see them grow. I won't be there to guide them through their lives._

_To my children; I know that it's easy to forget who we are when faced with monstrous things. They make us forget that we're people. There are men in this world who will hate you, hate everything you are, and for no good reason. When you find those men in your lives, be wary of them, don't let them win. But love them. Whatever they might hate you for, take it away. Whatever it is they have that they think justifies their actions, disarm it; make them face themselves._

_I know I didn't follow my words, but after the things I've seen I simply can't forgive these crimes. Rhia, Reed, I love you. Your father loved you. I'm so sorry you won't get the life you deserve, but I hope someday, you'll be happy. I don't know what kind of people you'll turn out to be, or what kinds of things you'll like to do, or what kind of friends you'll meet. I don't know who will take you in, or if you'll ever know someone to be a mother or a father. But you have each other. You have your lives. You have love. You have hope._

_No matter what happens, never lose these things. This is the only advice I will ever give you, so please, keep it close. _

_Good luck out there._

He read the last line again. Was this really the end? He flipped through the remaining pages – about half of the book – but they were all blank.

The abruptness of the ending left him with a potent feeling of loss, like something had been stolen away from him. The woman was dead, and he didn't know her name. He felt like he should.

The double-tap came at his door and he started, fumbling and dropping the journal between his mat and the wall. He hastily shoved the vent-cover back in place and sat before Rhia emerged from behind the door.

"I know, it's late. I don't want to hear you bitch about it so just don't start."

"What's late?" He seemed honestly confused.

Rhia frowned and pulled a tray off of a cart behind her, "Uh, your dinner."

Oh. "Just put it down somewhere," he said, leaning back and gazing up at the ceiling. Rhia wanted to point out his strange behavior, but whatever it was that was wrong with him, he was at least being docile. She decided not to disturb whatever kind of moment he was having, and left quietly.

* * *

Domino gave a hesitant knock on Rhia's door, causing it to swing open. Not really surprising; it was missing a handle.

The Adviser was in her down-clothes, a bandana tied around her head to keep her hair at bay. She was holding a sack, and filling it with... feathers.

"Rhia? Um, your brother's on Hannyabal's dendenmushi. Should I tell him to call back?"

"_Reed_?" Rhia dropped the sack. She appeared slightly dumbstruck for a moment, and then shoved her way past the blonde and taking off down the hallway.

"Watch my room for me, I'll owe you!" she called hastily behind her.

She got to her boss's floor in record time, and relief washed all over her face when she saw his snail articulating words though the window. Hannyabal noticed her from his chair and beckoned her in.

"Here she is now," he announced as she entered.

"Rhia?"

The snail's interpretation of Reed was slightly distorted and a little higher than his normal pitch, but there was no doubt it was him. She planted a fist firmly on the table, inadvertently making the Vice Warden jump. "Where the _hell _have you been? _Why_ haven't you returned our calls?"

"Calls?"

Her boss caught her attention and hoarsely whispered, "He doesn't know yet."

"Know what? What don't I know?"

"Oh, right. It's been so long it seems like old news anymore."

She and Hannyabal took turns explaining about the assassination attempts, and the investigation that followed. Rhia recounted her own exchange with Mikas from just that morning, and then looked to her boss to hear his progress.

"Unfortunately, Rider is smart. He's dodging me; I think he's trying to buy time."

"Have you talked to him _at all_?" Rhia questioned, and he shook his head.

"Only his secretary, who assures me that her boss has nothing but the utmost respect for the judicial process, and would be very happy to meet with me on one of his free days. I was offered an appointment four months from now."

"Does he think this is a joke?" Reed asked; he'd grown considerably more tense after hearing his sister had almost been killed.

"Remember, it's not an official investigation. All the privilege that we would normally get, _including _the ability to waltz in wherever we please and speak to whomever we choose, is simply not available. Rider is under no legal obligation to meet with me, and he _knows _that."

"So, what? We just keep digging until we can implicate him?"

"No way, that'll take too long! He's already sent people to kill you; it's only going to get worse, and he's not just going to wait around for you guys to find proof!"

Rhia finally pulled up a chair. "I guess we could always try to spook him into action. Make him think that whatever he and Nezumi are up to is about to be publicly exposed. We can watch him while he tries to cover his tracks, and wait for him to slip up."

"He's clever. Don't think he'll be fooled so easily."

"He's got a lot to lose; if I thought my game was almost up, I'd panic too."

The siblings waited in silence for Hannyabal's verdict.

"It will be risky. You said Mikas was coming back? I want all three of you together on this; you're not going to spy on a government official without manpower."

Rhia grinned, "You hear that? It'll be like when we were kids."

Reed cackled victoriously, "Let's do it. We'll show that son-of-a-bitch not to screw with us."

Hannyabal couldn't help but laugh with them. He was practically giddy knowing that Reed was okay, and he could tell Rhia felt the same. She laughed so easily; even in normal circumstances, she never laughed like _this_. It was a release of all the pent-up tension and anxiety that had been building up inside of her since she'd first thought him to be in danger. Now she could relax again. They knew he was safe.

"So when are you coming back?"

"Oh, right. I spoke to Madam Shyarly, and she agreed to leave with me. I'm meeting her on the dock in a few hours. Oh, and you were right, Rhia; she's _big_! I didn't know they made mermaids that size!"

His sister snorted; tactful as ever.

"It's clear neither of you have heard the tales of Princess Shirahoshi. She's said to rival giants," the Vice Warden interjected. "You should try to see her for yourself, since you're in the city."

"I would, but it's still dark out. I doubt I'll get the chance before I have to leave. I'll need to come back here, though. Maybe for vacation."

"She's a _princess_, not a zoo exhibit. She's not there for your entertainment, and shame on _you_ for encouraging him," Rhia turned on her boss, who put his hands up defensively.

They descended into playful banter for a good twenty minutes before Hannyabal let out a telling yawn. "Well, kids, it's late. I'm an old man who needs his rest. Say goodnight."

Rhia couldn't help the cheery walk back to her room. She apologized to Domino for leaving her so suddenly, and with nothing to do and no notion of when she'd return. The blonde, being the generous woman she was, simply smiled and offered her happiness that Reed was doing well before taking her leave.

As for Rhia, she still had a handle to install. She hummed happily to herself as she worked, her spirits soaring for the first time in days.

_**Let me know what you thought of this one. It threw me for a loop a few times there, but when inspiration hit, I finished it in just a few hours! I amaze myself, sometimes...**_

_**-Louisia**_


	6. Learning

_**Alrighty; I made an outline of this story for the first time. It's a dinky little 64 words, but considering I've just been flying by the seat of my pants this whole time, it's given me a sense of direction and purpose. I'm so excited to start the next chapter... ohmygosh I can't wait! *Excited!***_

**Learning**

Reed was sitting alone on the deck. Again. Fuck, his life was depressing him lately. He couldn't wait to get back and meet up with Mikas; the man was a source of clarity for him, and he might be able to help puzzle out whatever the hell was wrong with himself lately.

The last he checked, Shyarly was asleep in the cargo hold – it had been the only room large enough for her, and thank whatever powers that be she had the presence of mind to bring her own sleeping... thing. It was like a big sack filled with beads, and it was heavy as _hell_, but it did the job. She'd probably anticipated the boat not having a bed large enough for her.

Over the last couple of days he'd gotten the chance to chat with her; she was really smart. She could point to all the ropes and sails on the ship and account for what they did.

"_Did you used to be a sailor?"_

"_No, but when I was young I spent a lot of time around pirates."_

Made sense to him.

She really was a pretty woman. Would it be strange if he asked her on a date? She was twice his size and a mermaid, but he didn't give a damn if she didn't. He wondered if there was some kind of etiquette to inter-species dating. Hell, a lady like that, she was probably already taken.

He sighed and laid his head on the table. Was that it? Had he been doing all this deep-thinking shit because he wanted a girlfriend? How pathetic. Mikas probably would have been able to tell him that at a glance, and it had taken him _weeks_. He was such an idiot.

His head shot up when he thought he heard someone. He looked around, but saw nothing. He was probably just jumpy; all that shit about assassinations had been screwing with his head.

Deciding it was late, he slid out of his chair and shuffled off to the barracks.

* * *

Mikas had returned, and Rhia waited for him on the docks. As soon as he stepped off his small fishing boat, she tossed him a grapple-gun. He caught it just before it hit his face, looking from it to her questioningly.

"Ready to get back in shape?" She teased, and he scowled.

"You know I could never work these things. I weigh twice as much as you, it's harder."

"You're also more than twice as strong as me, so quit complaining."

"Well, what about Reed?"

"He's not here yet. Don't worry, he'll have to do it, too. Come on, try it out."

Mikas swore under his breath; he hated these damn things. Firing up at the railing above them, he watched the hook swing around the rail a couple of times and then tugged on it to be sure it wouldn't give. He then pulled the trigger, and was completely unprepared for the sudden jolt it gave. The device flew from his hands, whirled around the railing and flew up high in the air, before landing in the water with a _plunk! _

"Shit." Fuck. Damn. Hell. He knew what was coming.

"Hey, idiot; those things aren't cheap! Go get it!"

He dove in before she'd even finished yelling. If he didn't find it before it sank too low, he wouldn't put it past Rhia to send him on a deep-sea mission.

She watched the water, a half-grin on her face. Yep. She'd missed Mikas.

* * *

He sat quietly under the running water. It was pure bliss, compared to everything else in this dump. And it was exactly what he needed to help him think.

He hadn't been able to stop himself. He read the journal again. All of it. He learned some very interesting things about Rhia – par example, a very peculiar birthmark in an unmentionable place – and a few different recipes for breakfast cakes. He also learned the name of her dead mother – Chartreuse. But the _one _detail he zeroed in on, that he'd been curious about since he first read the journal and wasn't sure what to make of once he knew, was the identity of the men responsible for killing all those people.

Bits and pieces of the story seemed familiar to him, and they drew a picture that was incredibly obvious to anyone who knew anything about fishmen pirates.

_May 3rd_

_I had quite a start today. Reed took off running down the road and almost got mowed down by a runaway cart. A fishman appeared out of nowhere and stopped the cart just in time. I was almost in tears, but he was very kind. I asked if he'd like to stay for dinner, but he said he had business and couldn't spare the time. He was very pleasant._

_July 6th_

_I met another fishman, this time while I was selling bread. He stopped by my booth and we had a conversation. I've been seeing a lot of fishmen around town lately. Maybe they're all coming from the same ship, or something. We don't see varied folk here that often; it's a nice change from the usual humdrum._

_August 25th_

_There was a marine standing in the center of town today. He was shouting something about not trusting the fishmen. No one gave him much thought. He disappeared a few hours ago; I'm guessing he either gave up or got arrested._

_September 1st_

_That marine's body was found by the port today. Everyone seems to think it was a wild animal. I heard the marine base started investigating; I hope if it is a beast it keeps away from the town._ _I don't want it anywhere near the kids._

There were other journal entries in between, but these stood out to him.

He'd heard stories like it. They move in, earn the trust of the locals, and then commit mass murders out of nowhere. It was typical of early-day pirate crews, before the Great Pirate Age when there were – ironically – more fishmen on the seas. He'd never partaken in any such activity himself; it's the exact opposite of everything big brother Ti had stood for, and while he wasn't exactly the poster-boy when it came to relations with humans, he _certainly _took no pleasure in killing for its own sake.

So fishmen were responsible for this. It never said it directly but it was painfully obvious to him.

And how should he feel? Should he feel bad? Should he feel proud? He couldn't decide. This discovery left him with a myriad of conflicting emotions of which he couldn't make heads or tails.

A sound pulled him from his internal struggle. It was a muffled _fwop_, as if something had...

He got to his knees and leaned forward to see what had caused it, and saw a strange pouch sitting on his bed. He frowned, untrusting. Was this another attempt at killing him? He waited like that, staring from behind the safety of the wall, in case it exploded or something. What was he supposed to do?

_'Maybe it's a... gift?'_ It was packaged sort of like one. But who would do something nice for _him_?

"Is this thing working? Did she deliver it?"

Arlong started when his mysterious delivery began talking. He frowned, coming out from behind the wall to get a better look.

"_Just wait until she gets back. You don't want them to catch her."_

"Boss? Are you there?"

It was... Chuu?

"Why do I hear water? Is it rain? Is she outside?"

"_Maybe she dropped it."_

Arlong scrambled to his feet, damn near falling on his ass a couple of times in the process, and pounced on his bed to empty the pouch. It was a dendenmushi; a small one, only good for close range, but what the hell did it matter? His _men _were _talking _to him. And he'd been excited about a shower?

"Chuu? Kuroobi? Is that you?"

"Hey, boss-man!" Chuu's familiar informality came through clear as a bell. "We've been worried about you! Hey, where are you? What level you on?"

"Er..." Arlong hesitated, thinking. "I don't know where I am."

"Eh, I guess Lili will tell us when we see her. So, hey, boss, I hope you don't mind, but in your absence we've been workin' up a little plan."

"Wait, who's Lili?"

Chuu started to snicker, "She's Kuroobi's new-"

"_She's just helping us out_."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's why she's always batting her eyes at you-"

"_Shut up!"_

"She's a mermaid who works here. Obi-ka laid on the charm-"

"_Stop calling me Obi-ka!"_

"-and now she's in love with him. Anyway, she said she'd find you for us. I guess she did. Hey, what the hell is that water sound? I still hear it."

"Never mind that," Arlong dismissed his question, sitting cross-legged on his bed. He was dripping water everywhere and was as naked as the day he was born, but Rhia had brought him his lunch only a short time ago. It'd be a few hours before she came back. "What's this plan of yours?"

* * *

"Fucking. Hell. I'll just... _climb_ the damn wall. Screw all this cat-burglar shit."

Mikas was changing clothes. Rhia stood outside his room; she rolled her eyes. "You _used _to be able to do it, no problem."

"Yeah, I also used to be twenty with a less-acute instinct for self-preservation."

"Didn't we all..." she sighed. "I think we're getting old, buddy."

"What was your first clue?" he asked mockingly. "But you have less room to talk. You're not forty yet."

She smiled, "Hey, you're right. You and Reed are the old ones here, not me. Thanks for that."

"Anytime." He emerged from his room in downclothes, and Rhia cocked a brow.

"You know we still have work to do...?"

"Unless we're meeting with the Warden or an _incredibly _attractive woman, they can deal with my outfit."

She chuckled. "Hannyabal doesn't count?"

"The man doesn't wear a shirt. So no."

Except that Hannyabal was, indeed, wearing a shirt on this particular meeting. As a matter of fact, he was dressed rather upscale for just sitting alone in his office. Mikas could have smacked himself, while Rhia only whistled in approval.

"What's the occasion?"

Their boss grimaced. "Board meeting. I have no love for them."

"More crap on how we all need to pitch in to make our jobs a little less expensive?"

"The Military Treasurer wanted funding approval to go scavenge sunken ships for usable parts."

"That... actually sounds kind of smart." Mikas was hogging the boss' couch, and wouldn't move over. Rhia scowled and settled for the edge of Hannyabal's desk.

"He named a huge price tag, with no guarantee of a return on the investment. It was shot down unanimously."

"Oh. Well, what other news?"

The Vice Warden smirked, looking somewhat pleased with himself. "I know who our mole is."

Rhia's eyes widened, "Eh, you do? Who is it?"

"This man," he announced, holding up a photo. "Lu Jiggs. He used personal vacation time for a week-long trip, that took place at _exactly _the same time as when the deal for the black box went down. And he hasn't been heard from since the night his plan failed. I've already issued a warrant."

"Well, that's one question answered."

"Also," Hannyabal started again, "I wanted to talk to you about your... super-spy... thing. How exactly were you planning on making Rider think we're on to him?"

"Ah, well..." Rhia shrugged. "I guess I really hadn't thought about it. I figured I'd wait for Reed to get back and we'd figure it out."

The Vice Warden leand back in his chair, "If I might make a suggestion? Try leaking it through Nezumi."

Mikas looked at the boss. "You want us to track both of them? If there's three of us, then someone will have to go alone."

"That shouldn't be a problem, actually. It's more, getting in a position convenient enough to tail Nezumi that I'm worried about," the Adviser spoke up, looking at the ground with an expression like she was trying to solve a math problem in her head. "Is this what you want us to do, or is it just an idea?"

"It's just an idea; don't strain yourselves."

"I tell you what we could do," Mikas started, biting his thumbnail as he thought. "We could set it up so we send the information on a secure channel, and somehow make it so only Nezumi could come across it. Then when he goes running to tip off Rider, we can nail him for giving up government secrets!"

"Hey, that's... actually pretty good."

"I don't have a problem with it. If you can find a way to do it, then by all means."

Rhia nodded her head in assent, while Mikas' hand flew to his stomach. "Oh man... I gotta eat. Hungry..."

"You can go," Hannyabal told him.

The Vice Warden and Adviser both watched as he got up and headed down the hallway. After he disappeared through the hatch, the boss turned to Rhia.

"You're happy."

She looked back at him, the ghost of a smile on her lips. "Is it obvious?"

"You're very pleasant when you're cheery. I'd like to see you this way more often."

She sighed, "I guess I was getting kind of lonely, there. Both of them gone... I mean there's you and Domino, but Domino's more like a forced acquaintance and you... well, sorry, but you're old."

He barked a laugh. "I see how it is. Well if that's how you feel, I won't keep you. Go on, now. Get."

* * *

"It's a nice night to ponder."

The observation startled Reed out of wherever the hell his train of thought had swept him off to. He turned to see Shyarly floating on a bubble behind him.

She approached and settled on the ground near his table. She still towered over him, sitting as she was.

"What is it you spend so much time thinking about? You're out here almost every night."

He paused. Should he tell her? It seemed harmless enough. "I think about everything, I guess."

"Do you think about everything quite often?"

He quirked his nose. What kind of question was that? "About as often as the next guy, I would imagine."

"So then, not much at all?"

He smiled. "What are you doing up? It's quite early."

"Or quite late." Damn, she was quick.

"It depends on which of us is talking, I suppose."

"I suppose it does."

"So are you going to tell me?"

She seemed to think for a moment, then shrugged. "I had a dream."

"What kind of dream?"

Her mood darkened considerably, and he wondered if he'd inadvertently touched a nerve. "The terrible kind."

He got the sense that she was speaking more to herself than to him, though it was an answer to his question. "Nightmares aren't real; surely you don't need me to tell you that."

"Mine are."

Oh. Right. Psychic. He frowned. "Should we be worried?"

She raised her head in a sudden, bright smile. Damn, her mood swings were scary. "Oh, no. The terrible thing will happen to someone else. I didn't see either of us there."

"So let me ask you about your... powers."

She looked intrigued as she nodded. "Very well."

"Can you see whatever you want? Or does it just happen to you?"

"Hm. Well, I can choose to scry; if I want to know about anyone specific I'll use my tools. Sometimes, though, I see things. In a dream, or just a vision. But I always know what it is once I've seen it."

"And do you like being able to do this?"

She shook her head, "No. Not in the least. It frightened me when I was young. What's more frightening now is that I'm desensitized to it."

He watched her face. The subject was distressing to her. "One more question."

"Alright."

He hesitated, a little nervous. But he was a man, damnit, and men feared nothing, least of all rejection. "Would you like to have dinner with me, sometime?"

* * *

A prison riot. The perfect guise for escape. He had to hand it to Chuu; the man was a brilliant tactician when he wanted to be. Their contact would provide ropes so they and other prisoners could climb up through the holes. While the guards busied themselves targeting the obnoxious prisoner, his own men would slip past and seek him out. He gave them Rhia's description; she was the only one he knew for certain had the key to his cell. Then, once they were all free, they'd break for the exit and pick up where they left off.

Only, he'd told them to wait. He'd gone through all this trouble to see Shyarly; he might as well see it through.

_**I don't know what I think of this chapter. It feels like everyone's just waiting around for something to happen. But next chapter should have some more... I dunno. Stuff happens, I guess. I know, lame description. I'm not one for previews really... mostly cuz the next chapter hasn't left my head yet and fuck if I know what's gonna happen. Anyway... I'll let you review now.**_


End file.
